


for a moment

by clumsyclouds



Series: My Winx Club Reimagining [2]
Category: Winx Club
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Arranged Marriage, Canon Universe, Crying, Declarations Of Love, F/F, Kissing, Late Night Conversations, Late at Night, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:21:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24914548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clumsyclouds/pseuds/clumsyclouds
Summary: in a month, layla will be walking down the isle. not for love, but for duty. the kingdom trusts her to do her job, to be strong and to show that she will put her kingdom first as its queen. so why does musa have to make it so goddamn hard?
Relationships: Aisha | Layla/Musa (Winx Club)
Series: My Winx Club Reimagining [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1740889
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	for a moment

**Author's Note:**

> just one last time, please, we can say goodbye again  
> just for a moment, say it's not the end  
> will you see me like you did before?  
> just one night more, and then i'll close the door  
> somehow step into a world without you
> 
> but one last time, please, i know it's said and done  
> i'll take a night with you, and we can rise with the sun  
> but 'til then, please be mine, one time, again
> 
> one last time, please - dodie

“You can’t keep calling me here,” Layla says, arms crossed to keep out the cold and safeguard her heart. It’s so close to breaking and oh, she’s so tired. If only the world would let her rest, just once. Why can nothing just be easy?

“I’d stop if you stopped coming.” 

“You’re torturing me, can’t you see that?” 

The leaves rustle with the wind, and Musa takes one stride forward, then another. Each one less defiant than the other and slowly turning into careful steps on eggshells. Layla wishes for nothing more than to simply open her arms and let her worries go, but they keep her shackled, keep her locked into her own personal prison. 

“Please, let me have this one night. I think I’ll die if I don’t get to kiss you one last time.”

“Musa...” Her eyes slip shut. It would be so easy to sink into Musa’s arms, like she’s done so many times before. How she wishes she could once more.

Musa comes closer yet, shoes scraping against the gravel. Her breath ghosts over Layla’s lips. “Say you don’t love me, and I’ll leave.”

The ache inside her feels like someone screaming as her hollow chest echoes, reverberates in the emptiness, as if trying to remind her of what’s supposed to be there. Maybe it’s still there, she’s always been good at hiding things, feelings, even from herself. 

_ Please, I can’t feel this pain, I won’t survive it.  _

“Look, I know...I know I won’t change your mind, but please, say it’s not the end.” Her hands grab a gentle hold of Layla’s upper arms, and it takes everything not to burst into tears then and there.

“I’d be lying.”

“Then lie!”

One tiny brick in the wall of her resolve cracks, falls apart. 

“Give me something to remember,” Musa whispers as their noses touch. “Tomorrow I’ll be good and help your mother with the music. Next week I’ll come with you to the last dress fitting. Next month I’ll smile in the first pew. I’ll even catch the flowers if you throw them my way. I’ll eat cake and dance and I’ll be  _ fine. _ For you. Just give me one good memory.”

Layla’s lower lip begins to wobble and she has to bite it to make it stop. No matter what she does it’s going to hurt. Stay or go. Do or don’t. Marry or don’t marry. It’s not fair that all of this falls to her, falls on her shoulders, and yet there’s nothing to be done. She’ll simply have to be stronger. 

Maybe tonight can be her last night of weakness. 

They kiss, lips fumbling against each other, trembling with the sheer terror of it all. Love is sometimes the most terrifying thing of all. Sometimes happiness is even more terrifying. The warmth radiating from their lips, the rightness of it all is terrifying because they know they’ll have to give it up soon. 

But not tonight. 

“Say it, please.”

Layla could play a fool, but she knows all too well the words Musa longs to hear.

“I love you. I will always love you. Forever.”

And with that, they rush to the warmth of the castle again. Musa whisks her away to some empty room she’s found, and they light a fire in the ornate fireplace. They sit by the fire, talking about things that don’t matter. Simple things, nice things. It’s a dangerous dance, the way they maneuver their way around the topics that scare them, the topics that aren’t supposed to exist here in this room. At least, not tonight. Not in this bubble made just for them. 

They don’t even get tired, or so they tell themselves just so they can stay here a while longer, but sleep captures them at last. Musa holds Layla in her arms, scratching her scalp with a barely-there touch and lips occasionally pressing to the crown of her dark hair. It almost feels like a dream, but it couldn’t have been. She hasn’t dreamed in a long time. Hasn’t dared to. 

Sleeping is easy, but waking up to a cold, empty room is hard. She gets dressed, meets everyone down in the dining hall. They’re all squealing with excitement, so unaware of the pain that's been uprooted. Musa stands a few paces behind, but she’s smiling, too. The pain in her eyes is clear as day, but she keeps her promise and does everything she’s supposed to. So, Layla plays her part, too. The happy bride, noble princess, dutiful regent-to-be. Perhaps she’ll never stop feeling like she’s walking on shards of glass. Perhaps every word will forever feel like sand in her throat. Still, she must play her part. 

At least the memory will keep her warm when the world seems hell-bent on destroying whatever goodness is left in her life. That would have to do for now, for forever.

**Author's Note:**

> this song is kinda based on dodie's song "one last time, please". when i heard it i immediately imagined this scenario. i just kinda love the idea of nabu and layla being forced to marry, but neither of them wanting to because they have other loves. 
> 
> without spoilers, i imagine a happy ending for this. idk if i'll write it, and if i do, i'll add it as a second chapter to this story. but this little chapter will have to be sad. sorry guys ;p


End file.
